Training Programs

ACORN Food Addiction Professional Training

ACORN Food Dependency & Recovery Services administers the Food Addiction Professional Training. This is a three-year experiential program focused on learning food addiction recovery from the inside-out, assisting experienced food addiction professionals, and developing ways to make a unique contribution to food addicts and the field of food addiction.

Minimum Requirements

Two residential intensives with other professional trainees each year; a weekly recovery and professional support meeting by phone; two years of stable recovery in food (one year before assisting and two years before certification); completion of a detailed history of personal powerless over food or another addiction; and thirty days of supervised assistance and completion of a professional competence demonstration.

Phase One: 2 intensives; weekly support call; a year of food abstinence; work on unresolved mental, emotional and spiritual issues; complete a detailed description of powerlessness over food or another addiction.

Phase Two: 2 intensives; weekly support call; two years of stable food abstinence; 12 papers relating to food addiction theory to practice; ongoing recovery work as needed; and 30 days assisting a food addiction professional.

Phase Three: 2 intensives; weekly support call – facilitating for Living in Abstinence and newer members of training; developing and implementing a project that demonstrates unique abilities and competence as a food addiction professional.

Program Enrollment

Enrollment is on an annual basis. Some take more than a calendar year to complete the requirement of each phase of the program. There is a Living in Abstinence program for those who want to participate in the structured year-long support for their recovery during phase one without planning to necessarily complete the other two phases of the program.

Program Director

Philip Werdell, MA is the Director of the Professional Food Addiction Training Program.

Teaching Experience: Since 1972, Mr. Werdell has taught counseling, writing, group work, and other human service courses at the undergraduate and graduate level at variety of colleges and universities, including the College for Human Services, Campus-Free College, College of New Rochelle’s School of New Resources, New Hampshire College, Sarasota University, Manatee Community College, and Springfield College.

Professional Experience: Mr. Werdell has worked with over 4000 food addicts at the Glenbeigh Psychiatric Hospital of Tampa’s residential food addiction treatment program; the Rader Institute of Washington’s out-patient eating disorder program; ACORN Food Dependency Recovery Services; and in his private practice.

INFACT
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOR FOOD ADDICTION COUNSELING AND TREATMENT

About: a 19-week course leading to Certification as an International Food Addiction Counselor (IFAC).

The annual training starts in January and is taught in English and is designed for professionals in the health and social sectors. These include addiction counselors, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, nurses and physicians, and all others interested in advancing their knowledge in this field.

The following is general program information:

• 18 weekly three to four-hour sessions held on Saturdays at 8 am US-EST on Zoom online (Live meeting format, with picture and sound). This is followed with 4 monthly Clinical Supervision sessions for the group.
• an OPTIONAL 5-day ACORN/MFM intensive in Iceland, usually in February.
• Those completing the requirements and examination for INFACT, can apply for a Certificate from NBRCB (NORDIC/BALTIC REGINAL CERIFICATION BOARD) as FAC: FOOD ADDICTION COUNSELOR.
• Graduates from INFACT are already being hired as FACs in a variety of facilities.

Admission/Registration:

Some quotes from students:
• "I found the school a wealth of experience and knowledge on the subject of food addiction".
• "I found most important and great help the lectures from different teachers".
• "I enjoyed the experience and times spent with other students in the study groups, along with the learning in the Saturday lessons".
• "… In addition, the training really enhanced my own recovery from food addiction and overall understanding of the disease of addiction".
• "I found it very interesting to learn a great deal more about and to better understand and appreciate the complexity of counseling and treating food addiction".